Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.
Vladimir Guerrero's had a rough 2009, with injury issues and his dwindling power (his .466 slugging percentage would easily be his career low if the season ended today) causing concern the 34-year-old was full-on in the middle of a career decline.
With two cracks of the bat Monday night, "Vlad the Impaler" reminded us that he's been swinging a hot stick of late. In fact, he's been the old Vlad for quite some time. He just needed to shake the Earth a little bit to ensure everyone took notice.
Over the last few weeks, the Chicago White Sox have been a lot better at catching balls with their arms and thighs while in the batter's box than they've been in the field with their gloves. Their manager, Ozzie Guillen, is getting tired of it. Having seen three of his batters hit by a pitch on Saturday -- Carlos Quentin was hit as well in the game, but the home-plate umpire missed it -- Guillen gave the rest of the majors a warning.
Kotsay was designated for assignment by the Red Sox on Friday after only playing in 27 games this season -- hitting .257 with a homer and five RBI. Anderson recently lost his spot on the White Sox when Carlos Quentin returned from the disabled list, and after Dewayne Wise's memorable catch in Mark Buehrle's perfect game last Thursday, it's hard to think he'd have gotten back to Chicago anytime soon.
When the White Sox made the decision to activate Carlos Quentin on Monday, they had a pretty tough decision to make when deciding who Quentin would replace on the roster. Essentially the decision boiled down to which player's presence on the roster would hurt the team less -- Dewayne Wise or Brian Anderson?
One is a journeyman minor-leaguer who found a role on the team last season, and the other is a former first-round draft pick that has just never lived up to the expectations. Well, the decision was made somewhat easier due to the fact that Anderson had some minor-league options left, while Wise did not. Of course, that makes too much sense, so instead some people have just started to make the claim that Ozzie Guillenis a racist instead.
The trading deadline is only a week and a half away and while some teams are working behind the scenes to swing deals to get themselves better, there are ways a team can feel like it's made a trade without actually doing so. Like, say, bringing back a big part of their lineup that has been sidelined for most of the season with an injury so far.
It has the same sort of impact on a team, and they don't have to give up any prospects to boot. So there's little doubt that the White Sox are hoping Carlos Quentin can help provide a boost as they continue to hunt down and try to stave off the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins. Quentin was activated off of the disabled list on Monday and will be back in the lineup when the Sox face the Rays in Chicago on Monday night.
Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.
Ervin Santana went 16-7 with a 3.49 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 214 strikeouts last season. The promising 26-year-old has yet to rekindle the success in 2009, though, due mostly to arm injuries. Still, we know the potential he possesses, which is why there's no reason to give up on him halfway through the season. Any sign of a turnaround is sure to give fantasy baseball owners hope.
Thursday night, we got a glimmer. Santana dominated the A's. He worked 8 innings and struck out 4, while only allowing 3 hits, 1 earned run and 2 walks -- garnering the win in the process.
We're coming up on the All-Star Game and a day off on Wednesday before Major League Baseball gets back to business. If you squint really hard, you can see the finish line. For those without great eyesight, you've got approximately 74 games until the 2009 season is over. That's about 12 weeks of games, two-and-a-half months of baseball to make that last-ditch effort to push your fantasy baseball team towards the top of the standings.
Do you have what it takes?
Maybe you do, maybe you don't. No matter the answer, everyone could use a little bit of help, right? Here are a few hitters to target in the second half that could really help you on your quest for the championship.
MLB Power Rankings:Where MLB FanHouse's editors, writers and bloggers team up to break down the who's who and the what's what in the baseball world.
It's a funny thing, sometimes, to see how Power Rankings shape up over the course of the season. Just like when we started the year, there are a number of teams from one particular division sitting atop the rankings. Of course, there are plenty of surprises -- WHERE DID THE FREAKING GIANTS AND ROCKIES COME FROM?? -- and some other interesting stuff, like the fact that the Mets and Cubs just haven't been that good, which we discussed on the inaugural BaseCast recently.
From the Windup is Matt Snyder's extended look at some aspect of America's pastime each Thursday.
As Joey Votto heads out to a rehab assignment, the Reds are anxiously awaiting the return of their best hitter. Votto hasn't started a game since May 27 -- when the Reds stood at 26-20. Since then, they've gone 8-11. As a team, the Reds are hitting .244 and rank 11th in the National League in runs scored. Votto is hitting .357 with eight home runs and 33 RBI in only 38 games. Translation: The Reds really, really need him. They aren't the only team in baseball that will be missing a star player in the upcoming weeks. After the jump, we'll list the Top 10 most important injuries in baseball moving forward in 2009.
What should we expect from injury-ridden Josh Hamilton and Carlos Quentin? David Ortiz is showing signs of life, but is it real? And why should catcher Carlos Santana, center, be on your list of prospects to watch? All those questions are answered, and more, as Knox Bardeen and I discuss key injuries, slumping stars, and young talent in a fantasy cram session. Listen to the podcast after the jump.
Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.
Over the last few weeks, the 
Well this isn't the blockbuster trade we're all still waiting for, but 
When the White Sox made the decision to 
The trading deadline is only a week and a half away and while some teams are working behind the scenes to swing deals to get themselves better, there are ways a team can feel like it's made a trade without actually doing so. Like, say, bringing back a big part of their lineup that has been sidelined for most of the season with an injury so far.
Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the 
We're coming up on the All-Star Game and a day off on Wednesday before Major League Baseball gets back to business. If you squint really hard, you can see the finish line. For those without great eyesight, you've got approximately 74 games until the 2009 season is over. That's about 12 weeks of games, two-and-a-half months of baseball to make that last-ditch effort to push your fantasy baseball team towards the top of the standings.
